Wheel chair for supporting iron lung



July 26, 1955 R. D. KUHL WHEEL CHAIR FOR SUPPORTING IRON LUNG 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 24, 1951 N ER E INVENTOR. F055? 1' l7 Kw/L BYflT TOR/YE K July 26, 1955 R. D. KUHL WHEEL CHAIR FOR SUPPORTING IRONLUNG 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 24, 1951 IN V EN TOR.

July 26, 1955 KUHL 2,713,893

WHEEL CHAIR FOR SUPPORTING IRON LUNG Filed Aug. 24, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet3 FIGS INVEN TOR. EoBERT D. Kwu.

United States Patent "ce WHEEL CHAIR FOR SUPPGRTING IRON LUNG RobertDale Kohl, Chester, Minn. Application August 24, 1951, Serial No.243,555 9 Claims. (Cl. 155-488) This invention relates to a wheel chairor a chair for a hospital patient and particularly to a chairconstructed and arranged to be occupied by a patient who must use aniron lung.

Heretofore when a patient requiring the use of an iron lung was to bewheeled about the hospital or other place, it was necessary to carry theiron lung apparatus and a battery therefor on a separate vehicle whichwas moved with and adjacent the chair occupied by the patient. Thisprocedure was troublesome and somewhat difiicult for the nurse or otherperson propelling the vehicles.

It is an object of this invention to provide a chair for a patientconstructed and arranged to conveniently receive the iron lung apparatusand the battery therefor so that the patient can occupy the chair anduse the iron lung and at the same time be very conveniently wheeledabout.

It is another object of the invention to provide a chair for a patientrequired to use an iron lung, which chair has a main frame forsupporting the chair parts and a pair of wheels for supporting the frametogether with a second frame in the rear of said frame constructed andarranged to receive an iron lung apparatus, said first mentioned framealso having a slidable extension adapted to receive a battery for saidapparatus.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a chair for a patientrequired to use an iron lung comprising a frame, a pair of small wheelsfor supporting said frame, said frame carrying the chair parts togetherwith a second frame preferably at the rear of said frame constructed andarranged to receive and support an iron lung apparatus together with anauxiliary frame adapted to carry a battery for said apparatus, saidsecond frame being supported by one or more wheels adjacent the rearthereof and below the same, said chair having a back swingable to anupper and lower position whereby said chair may be moved under a bed sothat the patient can use the iron lung apparatus while it is still onthe chair and while the patient is still in bed.

It is more specifically an object of this invention to provide a chairfor a patient using an iron lung comprising a tame having spaced sidemembers, chair parts carried by said frame including a seat, a swingingback and a forward extension carrying a foot portion, said frame havinga pair of wheels adjacent its forward portion together with a secondframe in the rear of said frame constructed and arranged to receive andsupport an iron lung apparatus, a pair of wheels for supporting saidsecond frame adjacent the rear thereof and below the same, said wheelsbeing respectively movable about vertical axes, a vertically movablehandle portion carried in the rear of said second frame, means forholding said handle portion in different positions, means for holdingsaid last mentioned wheels in one position when said handle portion isin a lower position and an auxiliary frame supported by said firstmentioned frame and movable forwardly thereof for supporting a batteryfor said apparatus.

2,713,893 Patented July 26, 1955 These and other objects and advantagesof the invention will be fully set forth in the following descriptionmade in connection with the accompanying drawings in which likereference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several viewsand in which:

Fig. l is a view in side elevation of the device;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the parts in differentpositions, some parts being indicated in dotted lines;

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of the device showing a modifiedform;

Fig. 4 is a partial view in front elevation as seen from line 4+4looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 5 is a partial view as seen from line 55 of Fig. 3 looking in thedirection of the arrows. 1

Referring to the drawings, a device is shown comprising a frame ithaving laterally spaced substantially horizontal members llla extendinglongitudinally. In the form shown in Figs. 1' and 2, members are securedat their lower ends in the forward portions of members 10a and extendsubstantially vertically. Members 161) are sccured to and supportbearings 11 in which are journalled axles l2. Axles 12 extend outwardlyfrom the members 1012 and respectively support wheels 1 which supportthe frame 14). Frame members the extend upwardly from bearings 13 andthen extend rearwardly and somewhat downwardly to a point substantiallyover the rear end of members 10a and said members then extend downwardlyand are secured to the rear portions of members lilo. Ears or plates 16overlie members 190 adjacent their rear portions and extend betweenmembers lllc at each side of the frame. Similar bars 17 overlie members10c adjacent their forward ends and extend between members 19c at eachside of the frame. Compression coiled springs 19 rest upon the bars 16and 17 over each of the members lilc and are engaged at their upper endsby bars 2% and 21 which extend transversely as do the bars 16 and 17.Bars 20 and 21 are secured to the lower side of a seat member 23. Member23 forms the seat of the chair and said chair comprises a back or backrest 24 having spaced side portions and a transversely extending topportion. Said side portions of back 24 are pivoted at their lower endsby pivots 26 to the rear end portions of seat 23. Said side portions ofthe back 24 have inwardly offset lower parts 24a to the upper portionsof which are pivoted extensible and contractible brace members 27.Members 27 are pivoted at their ends on pivots 28 and at their forwardends on pivots 29, the latter being secured in the sides of seat 23.Said brace members 27 comprise two overlapping parts, one of whichcarries a headed screw 30 extending through an elongated slot 27a in theother of said members. Another screw 31 is secured to one of saidmembers and extends through slot 27a and is equipped with a clamping nutin the form of a hand wheel 33. Brace member 27 can thus be lengthenedor shortened and held in adjusted position by tightening wheel 23. Aplate 34 is secured to seat 23 beneath its forward portion and projectssome distance forwardly thereof. A plate 35 is secured to the lower sideof plate 34 and has a front vertical or straight edge having therein atransverse arcuate slot 35a. One or more bars 37 are pivoted at theirrear ends to the front portion of plate 34 by the horizontal pivots 38and these bars have secured thereto at their forward ends by screws 38,the brackets 49. Brackets 40 have upwardly extending lugs 49a at theirfront ends between which is pivoted on the pivots 41 a foot rest 42. Abracket 43 is secured to the bottom of bars 37 and has a rear member 43awith a downwardly extending portion adapted to seat in the slot 35a asshown in Fig. 1, to hold the bars 37 and foot rest 32 in a certainposition.

Side frame members :4- are secured at their front ends to the forwardportions of bearings 11 and from said bearings curve forwardly andupwardly and then rearwardly and downwardly to positions along sidemembers lilo. Members 44 are secured to members lbs in any suitablemanner as by welding. Hand rests or pads 45 are shown as supported onthe upper sides of members 44. Brace plates 10d are preferably securedbetween the rear vertical and top portions of members iiic. Members 19dcan be secured in any suitable manner as by welding.

In accordance with the present invention a second frame 46 is providedand comprises laterally spaced horizontal longitudinally extendingmembers 460, which as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, may be extensions ofmembers We. Frame 46 comprises portions 451) shown as upwardly extendingportions of members 46a. A bar 47 extends beneath and between themembers 46a and wheel brackets 48 are secured to bars 46a, whichbrackets carry wheels so rotatable on axes 51. thus wheels 50 areswingable about vertical axes. The frame 46 is constructed and arrangedto receive an iron lung apparatus 52 which substantially fits betweenmembers 46b and the vertical portions of members 100, the same beingsupported upon members 461:. Said apparatus is shown as having air tubes52a which will extend therefrom to the patient. Vertically extendingtubular members 53 are secured to the portions 46b in any suitablemanner, as by welding. A handle member 54 is provided and while thiscould take various forms, in the embodiment of the inventionillustrated, it is shown as of inverted U-shape, the side portionsthereof being receivable and slidable in members 53. Member 54 can beheld in different positions in members 53 by the set screws 55 shown asequipped with operating hand wheels. The brackets 48 have extendingrearwardly therefrom plates 48a. Plates 43a are provided with aperturesinto which side members of handle 54 can enter when said handle memberis in a lowered position. Said handle member 54 can be lowered so thatthe side members of said handle can contact said wheels 50 and thus actas a braking means to hold said wheels in a given position and preventmovement of the same.

The frame members 10a are of I-beam shape, thus having channels at theirinner sides, and these channels form guides for blocks or rollers 56.Blocks or rollers 56 are carried on the sides of flanges 57b bent upfrom the sides of a plate 57. Rods 58 extend vertically from the frontportion of plate 57 and the outer of said rods are connected by a toprod 58a. Diagonal rods 59 extend from the top of rods 58 to said flanges57b. Plate 57 also has a lug 57:: extending at one side thereof adjacentits rear end adapted to engage a stop member 63 located on the top ofone side member 10a. A second stop member 64 is secured to the outerside of one flange 57b and will engage the front end of one of the sidemembers No. Plate 57 is thus slidable in the side members 10a and saidplate and the parts carried thereon form an auxiliary frame. Saidauxiliary frame is constructed and arranged to receive and support anelectrical battery 66 for the iron lung apparatus 52. Said battery isshown as connected to said apparatus by the conductors 61.

In operation, the iron lung apparatus can be placed in the frame 46 andthe battery 62 can be supported upon the auxiliary frame having thebottom members 57. When the battery is to be placed in said auxiliaryframe the same frame can be moved forwardly so that the battery can beplaced therein from the top. The battery can then be moved with theauxiliary frame to the position shown in Fig. 1 if desired, particularlyif the extension bars 37 are to be lowered. The patient can now betransferred to the chair and can either sit somewhat upright with theback 24 in a position shown in Fig. 2, or

Brackets 48 and 1.

he can recline with the back in the position shown in Fig. 1. if theback 24 is in the position shown in Fig. l, the person propelling thechair can place his hands on the back 24 and so propel the chair in theusual manner. If the back is raised to the position shown in Fig. 2, thehandle member 54 can then be raised and held in its raised position asshown in Fig. 2, and the operator will then place his hands on handle 54and so propel the chair. The foot rest 42 and extension bars 37 can bemoved to different positions as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This is reallynot part of the present invention.

In Fig. 3 a modification is shown wherein the front portion of frame 1")is supported upon small wheels 70 carried on axles 71 and brackets '72which are secured beneath a bar 73 extending between and beneath theside frame members 16a. The brackets 72 and wheels it are swingableabout vertical axes. The back 24 will also be constructed so that it canbe swung to a substantially horizontal position, otherwise the structureis the same as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. With the structure shown in Fig.3, the chair with the iron lung apparatus and battery therein can bemoved under a bed and the apparatus 52 connected to the patient in theusual manner while it is still in the chair frame. The apparatus 52 andbattery 60 would thus not have to be moved into the chair every time thepatient was tc-be wheeled about.

From the above description it will be seen that I have provided acomparatively simple and yet highly efificient and useful chair for apatient required to use an iron lung. The chair with the iron lungapparatus and battery therein can be conveniently pushed about in thesame manner and with no more difficulty or inconvenience than the usualwheel chair. Time is saved in moving an extra vehicle and the greatinconvenience of propelling two vehicles is eliminated. With the presentarrangement the person such as a nurse, propelling the chair is closelyadjacent the patient as in the ordinary wheel chair.

The device has been amply demonstrated in actual practice, found to bevery successful and elficient, and is being used in actual practice in ahospital.

It will of course, be understood that various changes may be made in theform, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, withoutdeparting from the scope of applicants invention, which generallystated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects aboveset forth in the parts and combinations of parts disclosed and definedin the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A chair for a hospital patient having in combination, a base frame ofgeneral rectangular form in vertical and horizontal section and thebottom portion of said frame extending rearwardly for some distance,wheels adjacent the front of said frame and adjacent the rear portion ofsaid extended portion of said frame, a chair seat and back carried onthe upper portion of said frame, said back bein swingable about ahorizontal pivot to upper and lower positions, members extendingvertically in the rear of said front wheels and spaced forwardly of saidrear wheels at each side of said frame, a pair of members extendingvertically at the rear of said frame at each side thereof adjacent saidrear wheels, said pairs of vertically extending members together withsaid extended portion of said frame forming a compartment adapted toreceive the casing of an iron lung apparatus.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1, the forward bottom portion ofsaid frame being formed with guideways having facing channels and anauxiliary frame having side and bottom portions, movable in saidchannels and adapted to hold a battery for an iron lung apparatus and tobe moved into a forward position.

3. A chair for a hospital patient having in combination, a framegenerally rectangular in vertical and horizontal section havinglaterally spaced side members having facing channels, wheels adjacentthe forward ends of said side members and beneath the same, a chaircarried on the upper portion of said frame comprising a seat, a backswingable about a horizontal axis and a forward extension carrying afoot rest, a second frame in the rear of and in the plane of the bottomportion, said first mentioned frame having laterally spacedlongitudinally extending substantially horizontal members and laterallyspaced vertically extending rear members, said second frame beingadapted to support an iron lung apparatus beneath said back when thesame is swung to rearward position, a third frame in said channelsslidable on said first mentioned frame and movable forwardly thereofadapted to support a battery for said apparatus.

4. A chair for a hospital patient having in combination, a base frame ofgeneral rectangular form in vertical and horizontal section andcomprising laterally spaced longitudinally extending members, wheelssecured to said frame for supporting the same, a chair supported uponthe upper portion of said frame and comprising a seat and a back portionpivoted to swing about a horizontal axis, a second frame generallyrectangular in plan adjacent said first mentioned frame comprisingsubstantially horizontal members and vertically extending members andwheels adjacent the rear of said second frame, all of said wheels beingof comparatively small dimension, said last mentioned wheels beingswingable about vertical axes, means disposed in said vertical membersand movable to brake said last mentioned wheels, and said second framebeing adapted to receive a casing of an iron lung apparatus.

5. A chair for a hospital patient having in combination, a pair ofspaced vertically disposed substantially rectangular frames, the lowerportions of said frames having facing channels, said frames respectivelyhaving portions extending rearwardly for some distance in substantiallythe same plane as said lower portions and having portions extendingupwardly to form a compartment, wheels secured to said frame, and asecond frame slidable in said first frame having portions movablydisposed in said channels.

6. The structure set forth in claim 5, a pair of vertically extendinghandles secured to the rear portion of said compartment and havingportions adapted to be lowered to engage a pair of said wheels to act asa brake therefor.

7. A chair for a hospital patient having in combination, a framecomprising a pair of lower laterally spaced horizontal members, spacedvertical members at the front of said members, wheels secured to thefront of said first mentioned members respectively, a pair of laterallyspaced side members in vertical planes respectively having lowerlaterally spaced horizontal portions extending rearwardly from andsubstantially longitudinally alined with and in substantially the samehorizontal plane as said first mentioned members, said side membershaving rear vertical portions and second vertical portions forwardly ofsaid rear portions, said portions forming a compartment adapted toreceive an iron lung device, and Wheels at the rear ends of saidhorizontal portions respectively.

8. The structure set forth in claim 7, said laterally spaced sidemembers extending from the upper ends of said second vertical portions,curving upwardly and forwardly and then rearwardly and downwardly tosaid spaced vertical members respectively.

9. The structure set forth in claim 7, side horizontal members extendingfrom the upper ends of said spaced vertical members rearwardly and beingsecured respectively to said second vertical portions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,277,886 Elliman Sept. 3, 1918 1,739,260 Roe Dec. 10, 1929 1,958,494Pehrsson May 15, 1934 2,182,915 Connolly Dec. 12, 1939 2,236,089Ducavich Mar. 25, 1941 2,426,432 Breckner et al Aug. 26, 1947 2,470,258Mustafa May 17, 1949 2,578,382 Thompson Dec. 11, 1951

